The Principality of Bayet
Introduction Located to the temperate north-east of Ternia, the Principality of Bayet is a nation known for its wealth thanks to its famous "Golden Hills", a region with over 30 gold mines. This discovery meant that the Prince of Bayet could make up for his small army by hiring legions of mercenaries from around the globe, allowing the country to not be utterly dwarfed by its neighbours. Since then, the country has attempted to avoid conflict wherever it can, wishing to focus on internal issues rather than the issues of the continent as a whole. Culture Its years of being one of the richest powers in Bolei, rivalled only by the Dwarven Confederacy and the Florin Republic, have lead the people to adopt a lifestyle of luxury. Strict border control and a militant approach to poverty have reduced the number of peasants in Bayet drastically, allowing most of its citizens to form layers of aristocracy. The cuivre are the lowest class of the aristocracy, and are typically small landowners who employ poorer immigrants to do whatever manual labour they need done. The argent are the class above them, and are often the administrators of large enterprises, running small sectors of the country on a mainly municipal level. Finally, the doré are the richest of the country, second only to the prince himself. They often run entire regions of Bayet, and participate in council meetings with the ruling monarch. The People of Bayet Typically the people of Bayet dress in tailored clothing, attempting to look their best no matter what their social standing. Standing on average at about 6ft, the Bayetans normally have dark hair and pale skin (though it isn't uncommon for men and women with darker complexions to use makeup to lighten their skin). In the Principality, fashion trumps functionality. Architecture The buildings of Bayet are normally similar to those in Florin, Volmark, and even Aldenshire. Tall spires, cobbled roads, and vast fields of wheat are all common throughout the principality. One motif of Bayet culture however is her large and lavish chateaux, castles built for the purpose of housing royals and members of the doré class. They often have little means of defense, yet are typically more beautiful than your average fortress. Government Bayet is ruled internally by the prince, a man with total authority over all things relating to Bayet, except of course for the military which is run by Rin. His doré class however do have enough power to overthrow him if he proves himself to be utterly incompetent, and this has happened in the past. To avoid getting on the bad side of the doré class, the prince often leaves all matters of state to them, only coming out of his mighty chateau to address the rest of his people. History Bayet keeps its history and internal affairs somewhat private, believing them not to be the concern of the rest of the world. As such, foreign historians have only had a guess as to the origins of the principality of Ternia's east. The typical story is that the country was founded during the days of the Handar Empire by rich men who owned mining companies. Seeing themselves as powerful enough to rule the land on which they'd built their mines, they did just that. While this displeased the Handar emperor, he could not afford to have the gold mines of the east simply stop working, and so Bayet was created. The richest of the mine owners was crowned as prince, and ruled his small tract of land fairly. From then on, the prince would often annex land diplomatically, offering grand sums of gold in exchange. This new land would then be worked to create more money, and the cycle would continue. After the fall of the Handar Empire the Principality of Bayet solidified its borders with her aforementioned mercenary army. Any foreigners who weren't working in her cities or her fields were deported or slain by roving thugs hired by land owners. The lower class was eliminated, wiped clean. From then on, a strict customs board would only allow dedicated foreigners into her lands with the sole purpose of working. So long as you had a job and contributed to their society, you would be treated pleasantly, though the moment you became a leech on her economy, the thugs were at your door. Despite participating in several wars, first against the orcs and then against the Rinish during their rebellion against the Florian Empire, Bayet has remained. Currently the principality still hires her mercenaries, often without Rinish approval, and continues to thrive as the continent's richest nation. Cities Leonne is the capital of Bayet, and the main hub for trade within the country. Her walls are constantly guarded, and entering the city as a non-worker or foreigner requires a payment of approximately 500 golden coins. It is also home to the nation's banks, reserves of gold and gems hidden deep under the city's streets.